Diplacus pictus

Calico monkeyflower

Family: Phrymaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Calico monkeyflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada foothills and Tehachapi Mountains in bare, sunny, shrubby areas around granite outcrops at elevations of 135 to 1,250 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces white flowers with bold, intricate purple-brown veins, creating a distinctive calico-like pattern on the delicate white petals. Growing with hairy, four-sided stems 10 to 38 centimeters tall, it has a compact, branching form typical of annual wildflowers. Its obovate leaves are 7 to 45 millimeters long, positioned along the hairy stems with a soft, textured appearance. The fruit develops 7 to 17 millimeters long, with the flower's calyx expanding to 18 millimeters as seeds mature.

Habitat: Bare, sunny, shrubby areas, around granite outcrops

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: 135-1250 m

Bioregions: s SNF, Teh.

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.